College basketball games this week: Top 10 games to watch

The Hall Of Fame Tip-Off and Gavitt Games highlight the top college basketball games this week.

One week is in the books and the college basketball season has been incredibly fun. The top matchups from last week delivered in spades, including a dramatic overtime showdown at Pauley Pavilion on Friday night that saw UCLA outlast Villanova.

This week features two key events that generate a lot of the must-watch action for college basketball fans: the Gavitt Games, which matchup top programs from the Big East and Big Ten, and a star-studded Hall of Fame Tip-Off event at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.

Best College Basketball Games of Week 2

10. Liberty (1-0) at LSU (2-0) – Monday, 11/15 at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPNU

This non-conference showdown is sneaky good as Liberty heads to Baton Rouge in search of a resume-bolstering victory against LSU. The Flames won 23 games a year ago on their way to the NCAA Tournament and remain the Atlantic Sun’s top dog entering this season. LSU has picked up two dominant wins to start their year but will get a stiff test from Liberty here.

9. Virginia (1-1) at Houston (2-0) – Tuesday, 11/16 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN

If you’re a fan of rugged defense, this is the game for you. Virginia bounced back from a surprising loss to Navy with an easy 73-52 triumph over Radford, making this trip to Houston a huge opportunity for them. The Cougars struggled a bit with Hofstra in the opening week, requiring overtime to knock off the Pride, so this is a spot where they could get picked off at home.

8. Gavitt Tipoff Games – Seton Hall (2-0) at Michigan (2-0) – Tuesday, 11/16 at 9:00 p.m. ET on FS1

The first of the Gavitt Games that is a must-watch features a dangerous Seton Hall team traveling to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan. The Pirates picked up two great wins in Week 1, including an 80-44 demolition of Ivy League favorite Yale on Sunday, while Michigan has a nice victory against MAC favorite Buffalo on its resume. The veteran experience that Seton Hall has could make them a real threat to steal this game at the Crisler Center.

7. Phil Knight Invitational – BYU (2-0) vs. Oregon (2-0) – Tuesday, 11/16 at 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN

If Virginia-Houston isn’t your cup of tea stay up a few hours to watch this absolute barnburner at the Phil Knight Invitational. BYU and Oregon can both shoot the lights out and are more than capable of putting on a tremendous show in Portland. It is worth mentioning that BYU played a tougher Week 1 slate, including a six-point victory against San Diego State, that could leave them well-positioned to spring an upset over the Ducks.

6. Gavitt Tipoff Games – St. John’s (2-0) at Indiana (2-0) – Wednesday, 11/17 at 9:00 p.m. ET on FS1

These two premier programs have fallen on hard times but are looking good this season. St. John’s has a star in Julian Champagnie and is one of the biggest threats in the Big East while Indiana is looking to make some noise in the loaded Big Ten. The player to watch here is Hoosiers’ forward Trayce Jackson-Davis, who scored 19 points and blocked seven shots in Indiana’s win over Northern Illinois last week.

5. Gavitt Tipoff Games – Ohio State (2-0) at Xavier (2-0) – Thursday, 11/18 at 6:30 p.m. ET on FS1

Our third Gavitt Tipoff Game features an in-state battle between Big Ten powerhouse Ohio State and Xavier, an underrated Big East squad. The Buckeyes had a tough opening week, barely topping Akron and scrapping past Niagara, while the Musketeers also squeaked past Niagara before toppling Kent State. Xavier could make a big statement here by knocking off Ohio State in their first meeting since the 2007 NCAA Tournament.

4. Kentucky Classic – Ohio (2-0) at Kentucky (1-1) – Friday, 11/19 at 7:00 p.m. ET on SEC Network

The Kentucky Classic is designed as a showcase game for the Wildcats but Kentucky has a tricky opponent coming to Rupp Arena in Ohio. The Bobcats made the NCAA Tournament a year ago and won a round, losing only Jason Preston to the pros, bringing back nearly everyone from that team. Kentucky rebounded from a tough loss against Duke in the Champions Classic by thrashing Robert Morris at home and will look to continue taking out their frustrations from that game against the Bobcats here.

3. Richmond (1-1) at Drake (2-0) – Saturday, 11/20 at 1:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+

These two elite mid-majors square off in a non-conference showdown designed to help bolster their NCAA Tournament resumes. The Bulldogs are off to a fast 2-0 start while the Spiders went 1-1 in Week 1 with the defeat coming against a good Utah State team at a neutral site.

2. Hall of Fame Tip-Off – Villanova (1-1) vs. Tennessee (2-0) – Saturday, 11/20 at 1:00 p.m. ET on ESPNEWS

The event of the weekend is the Hall Of Fame Tip-Off, which will feature a bracketed tournament at Mohegan Sun kicking off with Villanova taking on Tennessee. Jay Wright’s team will get an immediate marquee win opportunity after squandering a shot to win at UCLA last week while Tennessee can add a big notch to its belt by knocking off the Wildcats.

1. Hall of Fame Tip-Off – North Carolina (2-0) vs. Purdue (2-0) – Saturday, 11/20 at 4:00 p.m. ET on ESPNEWS

The second half of the Hall Of Fame Tip-Off features two more marquee programs in action as Purdue takes on North Carolina. The winners of each game will play in the championship on Sunday while the losers play for third place, adding a pair of bonus games to this week’s must-watch slate if you want to squeeze in some more college basketball on an NFL Sunday.

For more NCAA basketball news, analysis, opinion and features, check out more from the FanSided college basketball section to stay on top of the latest action.